Surely, it is so, the genuine
Attractiveness and
Splendor of Kalamaʻula

There in the bower
We arrive and behold the beauty and
Splendor of Kalamaʻula
(Emma Dudoit, 1922)

In a moʻolelo recounted by Fornander, Maniniholokuaua, known for his ‘great strength and fleetness,’ lived in Kaunakakai, while his moʻo grandmother, Kalamaʻula, lived in the neighboring ahupua‘a, with which she shared the name.

When the fastest runner of O‘ahu, Keliimalolo, arrived on the beach of Kaunakakai, he was warned of the thief who would steal his canoe. Sure enough, Maniniholokuaua lifted the canoe onto his back and carried it to a cave, for which Keliimalolo could not find the opening.

After traveling to Kaua‘i in search of fast runners who would help him retrieve his canoe, Keliimalolo found Kamaakamikioi and Kamaakauluohia. Once again, as the canoe landed, Maniniholokuaua was there to steal it. Ignoring their warning to not take the canoe, Maniniholokuaua put it on his back and ran to his cave of treasures.

Ultimately, Kama‘akamikioi caught up with Maniniholokuaua, and as he demanded the cave to open, Kamaakamikioi ordered the cave to close, crushing Maniniholokuaua and the canoe. Inside the cave, Kalama‘ula was dead, and the Molokai residents entered the cave to retrieve all of their precious belongings stolen by Maniniholokuaua. (Keala Pono)

At the time of Kamehameha’s conquest of the Islands, Kalola was the highest tabu chiefess on Maui; she was sister of the King Kahekili and an aunt of Kalanikūpule. Kalola lived with two brothers, Kalaniʻōpuʻu and Keōua, both Hawai’i island niʻaupiʻo (very high rank) chiefs.

From Kalaniʻōpuʻu, the older brother, she had a son, Kalanikauikeaouli Kiwalaʻo (Kiwalaʻo.) From Keōua, the younger brother, she had a daughter, Kekuʻiapoiwa Liliha.

The children, Kiwalaʻo and Kekuʻiapoiwa, had the same mother, different fathers, offspring of a naha union (brother-sister mating of niʻaupiʻo chiefs.) These two lived together, and Keōpūolani was born to them, also the offspring of a naha union. (Mookini)

When Maui Island was conquered by Kamehameha – Kalanikūpule (Kahekili’s eldest son and heir-apparent) and some others (including Kalola and her family) escaped over the mountain at the back of the valley and made their way to Molokai and Oʻahu.

On the island of Molokai at Kalamaʻula, Kalola became ill and they could not carry out their original intention of going to Oʻahu to join Kahekili. Kamehameha followed Kalola to Molokai and asked Kalola for Keōpūolani (Kalola’s granddaughter) to be his queen.

Kalola, who was dying, agreed to give Kamehameha Keōpūolani and her mother Kekuʻiapoiwa Liliha, if he would allow the girls to stay at her death bed until she passed. Kamehameha camped on Molokai until Kalola died, and returned to Kona with his high queen Keōpūolani.

Another story suggests the area was named for a stone … and a song was written (excerpts above) about the beauty of the area …“I was born In Kaka’ako on August 20, 1918, and I was the second youngest of the eight children in our family. My brother John was the youngest. My parents, Emma Kala and Marcellus Dudoit, moved to Kalamaʻula in 1922.”

“The Kalamaʻula stone was right in our driveway, but we didn‘t know it was a famous stone. My dad wanted to get rid of it. So John and I tried with a sledge hammer, but we couldn’t break it. Then we found out that it was the stone that Kalamaʻula was named for, so we left it where it was.”

“It has five natural veins in it, and the legend is that it’s the handprint of a young woman. My mother wrote the song Kalamaʻula about the beauty of the area and our home there. She died when I was five, so my sister, Hannah, later copyrighted the song on her behalf.” (Valentine Dudoit, September 22, 2000; Clark)

Kalama‘ula by Johnny Noble and his Hawaiians – Emma Bush vocals 1929

“In Kalama‘ula is a coconut grove that is said to have been planted by Kamehameha V, having about 1,000 trees covering an area of ten acres.”

“Molokai was the favorite rest resort of this monarch, who had an establishment on the beach which was reserved for sunbathing by the ali‘i at Kalama‘ula near Kaunakakai.”

“There was a fine spring there that ‘bubbled up through all eight-inch vent and ran as a stream to the shore. Along the banks of the stream sugar cane, bananas, and taro flourished. There were many shrimp in the spring.’”

“‘It is said that a woman’s shrimp-net was once washed away by a freshet down the valley above the spring. She found her net in the spring at Kalama‘ula, at least six miles from the place she had left it’.” (Handy)

The US Congress passed the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act to provide lands for Hawaiians; in 1922, Kalamaʻula became the first Hawaiian homestead subdivision in the islands.

Kalola, the highest tabu chiefess of the Maui court, was a daughter of Queen Kekuʻiapoiwa I (a daughter of Keawe of Hawaiʻi) and King Kekaulike of Maui. She was thus a granddaughter of Kalanikauleleiaiwi, Queen of Hawaiʻi and sister of the King Kahekili II. She was an aunt of the King Kalanikūpule.

When Kekaulike died, Kalola’s brothers Kamehamehanui (an uncle of Kamehameha I) and Kauhi fought each other for rule of Maui in 1738. Battles were fought across West Maui; the war ended with the battle Koko O Nā Moku (“Bloodshed of the Islands;” Kamehamehanui won.

Kalola lived with two brothers, Kalaniʻōpuʻu and Keōua, both Hawai’i island niʻaupiʻo (very high rank) chiefs. From Kalaniʻōpuʻu, the older brother, she had a son, Kalanikauikeaouli Kiwalaʻo (Kiwalaʻo.) From Keōua, the younger brother, she had a daughter, Kekuʻiapoiwa Liliha.

The children, Kiwalaʻo and Kekuʻiapoiwa, had the same mother, different fathers, offspring of a naha union (brother-sister mating of niʻaupiʻo chiefs.) These two lived together, and Keōpūolani was born to them, also the offspring of a naha union. (Mookini)

Keōpūolani (granddaughter of Kalola,) who was raised in Wailuku, Olowalu and Hāmākua on Maui, was later queen of Kamehameha I (we’ll get more into that a little bit later.)

At the time of Captain Cook’s arrival (1778-1779), the Hawaiian Islands were divided into four kingdoms: (1) the island of Hawaiʻi under the rule of Kalaniʻōpuʻu, who also had possession of the Hāna district of east Maui; (2) Maui (except the Hāna district,) Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi and Kahoʻolawe, ruled by Kahekili; (3) Oʻahu, under the rule of Kahahana; and (4) Kauaʻi and Niʻihau, Kamakahelei was ruler.

In 1782, following the death of Kalaniʻōpuʻu, Kiwalaʻo was briefly ruler of the island of Hawaiʻi. That year, his cousin, Kamehameha I, challenged his authority at the battle of Mokuʻōhai. Kīwalaʻō was killed in combat by Keʻeaumoku, one of Kamehameha’s officers. The victory at the battle of Mokuʻōhai was the start of Kamehameha’s rise to power

After the deaths of Kalaniʻōpuʻu and Kiwalaʻo, Kalola left for Maui, taking with her Keōpūolani. Kahekili, brother of Kalola, provided for the family and gave them his protection. After the conquest of Oahu by Kahekili he removed his court to that island, taking with him his sister and her family.

In 1785, they returned to Maui with Kalanikūpule, the son of Kahekili, who had been appointed chief of the island, and there remained, principally at Olowalu, until 1790. (Kalākaua)

At about that time, Simon Metcalf (captaining the Eleanora) and his son Thomas Metcalf (captaining the Fair American) were traders; their plan was to meet and spend winter in the Hawaiian Islands. The Eleanora arrived in the islands first at Kohala on the island of Hawaiʻi. After a confrontation with a local chief, Simon Metcalf then sailed to the neighboring island of Maui to trade along the coast.

Kalola ruled the puʻuhonua of Olowalu and presided over Kaʻiwaloa Heiau. Kahekili, ruler of Maui, lived at Halekiʻi Heiau in Wailuku. This indicates the important spiritual, political and economic connection between ʻIao and Olowalu. Kalola was still ruling at Olowalu in 1790 when Simon Metcalf fired cannons on Honua’ula and Olowalu during the Olowalu Massacre.

Several months after the massacre at Olowalu, Kalola watched the great Battle of Kepaniwai from a panoramic flat area in the back of ʻIao Valley. Kamehameha stormed Maui with over twenty thousand men, and after several battles Maui troops retreated to ʻIao Valley.

Maui Island was conquered and its fighting force was destroyed – Kalanikūpule (Kahekili’s eldest son and heir-apparent) and some others (including Kalola and her family) escaped over the mountain at the back of the valley and made their way to Molokaʻi and Oʻahu. “The fugitives fled across the sharp ridges of the mountains, the mother carrying the child on her back and the kahu carrying mother and child, until they were able to escape to Molokai.” (Kamakau)

On the island of Molokaʻi at Kalamaʻula, Kalola became ill and they could not carry out their original intention of going to Oʻahu to join Kahekili. Kamehameha followed Kalola to Molokaʻi and asked Kalola for Keōpūolani (Kalola’s granddaughter) to be his queen.

Kalola, who was dying, agreed to give Kamehameha Keōpūolani and her mother Kekuʻiapoiwa Liliha, if he would allow the girls to stay at her death bed until she passed. Kamehameha camped on Moloka’i until Kalola died, and returned to Kona with his high queen Keōpūolani.

At Kalola’s death, “They wailed and chanted dirges, and some were put to sleep with the dead, and the chiefs tattooed themselves and knocked out their teeth. Kamehameha was also tattooed and had his eyeteeth knocked out, and the chiefs and commoners acted like madmen.” (Kamakau)

Kamehameha then formally took charge of and returned to Hawaiʻi with her daughter and granddaughter, not only as a sacred legacy from Kalola, but as a token of reconciliation and alliance between himself and the elder branch of the Keawe dynasty. (Kalākaua)

Later, Liholiho (Kamehameha II,) Kauikeaouli (Kamehameha III) and Princess Nahiʻenaʻena were born to Kamehameha and Keōpūolani.

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People, places, and events in Hawaiʻi’s past come alive through text and media in “Images of Old Hawaiʻi.” These posts are informal historic summaries presented for personal, non-commercial, and educational purposes.

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